Robert Reiter
City and State: Chicago, IL.
Current Company and Position: Chicago Federation of Labor, President
Family: Diana Reiter – wife; Caitlin & Logan Reiter – children.
First Job: Burger King.
What it taught me: That dignity in work is important.
Best advice you could give someone starting out: Respect yourself and your co-workers.
Who is your hero and why? My parents are my heroes. I come from a working-class family that believed in family, community, and justice for everyone. I’ve accomplished a lot in my live due to those lessons my parents taught me. Stand up for yourself, but be compassionate. Treat people well, but hold your ground.
Biography: Bob Reiter is the President of the Chicago Federation of Labor, the third largest central labor council of the national AFL-CIO. He previously served two terms as Secretary-Treasurer of the CFL from July 2010 to May 2018.
Bob is a third-generation member of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150. His family’s roots in the labor movement run deep with backhoe operators, crane mechanics, railroad workers, public safety officers, and teachers.
Additionally, Bob’s family is descended, in significant part, from Irish and Croatian immigrants. Bob’s Irish roots trace back to the Kiley’s of County Limerick and the Maguire’s of County Fermanagh.
Throughout his career, he has worked as a labor attorney, an organizer, a negotiator and a lobbyist. In his role as president of the CFL, Bob serves on executive and advisory boards for labor, civic, and community organizations across Chicago and Cook County including the Cook County Health and Hospital System, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, and ABOC Bank. His involvement with these organizations allows him to represent the interests of labor and protect the fundamental rights of all workers.
Bob holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in political science from Eastern Illinois University, and a Juris Doctor degree from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law.
